PIERCE, Colo. — In a quiet corner of Colorado, a unique business is struggling with an unexpected loss.
Colorado Capra Excursions, a company specializing in goat-powered outdoor adventures, had two of its four-legged workers attacked and killed. The owner says they were likely killed by coyotes, based on the paw-prints left behind.
Diego Buitron is now heartbroken, and his business is facing a difficult future.
Buitron’s path to starting Colorado Capra Excursions came from tragedy. In 2017, he was paralyzed after a tractor struck him. He walked alongside his animals to regain mobility. Buitron wanted to share the joy and peace that goats bring with others, which led to the creation of the business.
“They’re just always a joy to be around,” Buitron said of his trained goats. "They have a much wider spine, so they can carry backpacks."
This helps Buitron take groups of hikers through rugged landscape. It wasn't long before these goats became more than just animals. They were family.
Buitron returned home one day to find two of his goats badly injured. He said a predator dug under and broke through his gate. Despite two days at the veterinary hospital, the two goats, Iris and Atlas, died.
“I held him... and it was a really, really difficult thing,” Buitron said.
Buitron said it's going to be hard to keep the business going with just two goats remaining, so he hopes to add more to the small team down the road. The hardest part has been the loss of his pets.
“Everyone knows that feeling that they leave in your heart when you're gone,” he said.
A GoFundMe was created to help support Buitron, where donations will go toward vet bills, lost wages and income from the company. You can find it here.